Delaware 153rd General Assembly Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

SB 161 — DSAMH/Behavioral Health/Issue Licenses

Last action — Lieu/Substituted

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced April 30, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

This Act authorizes the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to issue licenses and adopt and enforce comprehensive regulations for behavioral health provider organizations and treatment programs. It requires provider organizations to obtain licenses to operate behavioral health treatment programs, with exemptions for certain practitioners and programs. It creates civil and criminal penalties for the provision of treatment services or the operation of programs without proper licensing or in violation of law or regulation.   This Act also establishes rights for community clients such as freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation; privacy; individualized treatment plans; and participation in their care. Residential clients have additional rights, including communication, personal belongings, and voting assistance. In addition to client rights, it establishes duties for provider organizations, which include treating clients respectfully, providing clear information, maintaining confidentiality, and establishing grievance procedures.   Furthermore, this Act requires provider organization staff to report incidents, including those involving abuse, neglect, or serious injury. It authorizes the Division to investigate reports and then take disciplinary action or refer the report to law enforcement.   This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.   Sections 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12 of this Act take effect immediately. Sections 1 through 5, 8, and 9 of this Act take effect immediately and are to be implemented the earlier of the following: 2 years after its enactment into law or notice by the Director of the Division published in the Register of Regulations that final regulations to implement this Act have been adopted.   This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 11 of Article VIII of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to impose or levy a tax or license fee. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds vote when the General Assembly gives criminal jurisdiction to inferior courts.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB 161 on the official Delaware source →

Action History

  1. Lieu/Substituted

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 61 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (61)

61 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 61 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights healthcare labor
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 161 do?
This Act authorizes the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to issue licenses and adopt and enforce comprehensive regulations for behavioral health provider organizations and treatment programs. It requires provider organizations to obtain licenses to operate behavioral health treatment programs, with exemptions for certain practitioners and programs. It creates civil and criminal penalties for the provision of treatment services or the operation of programs without proper licensing or in violation of law or regulation.   This Act also establishes rights for community clients such as freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation; privacy; individualized treatment plans; and participation in their care. Residential clients have additional rights, including communication, personal belongings, and voting assistance. In addition to client rights, it establishes duties for provider organizations, which include treating clients respectfully, providing clear information, maintaining confidentiality, and establishing grievance procedures.   Furthermore, this Act requires provider organization staff to report incidents, including those involving abuse, neglect, or serious injury. It authorizes the Division to investigate reports and then take disciplinary action or refer the report to law enforcement.   This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.   Sections 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12 of this Act take effect immediately. Sections 1 through 5, 8, and 9 of this Act take effect immediately and are to be implemented the earlier of the following: 2 years after its enactment into law or notice by the Director of the Division published in the Register of Regulations that final regulations to implement this Act have been adopted.   This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 11 of Article VIII of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house of the General Assembly to impose or levy a tax or license fee. This Act requires a greater than majority vote for passage because § 28 of Article IV of the Delaware Constitution requires the affirmative vote of two-thirds vote when the General Assembly gives criminal jurisdiction to inferior courts.
Who sponsors SB 161?
SB 161 is sponsored by Marie Pinkney (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 161?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced April 30, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 161?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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